Bridle attachment.



No. 820,658. PATENTED MAY 15, 1906.

l E. B. MERRIMAN.

BRIDLE ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION TILED MAB..27, 1905.

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"UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD B. MERRIMAN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

BRIDLE ATTACHMENTl Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 15, 1906.

Appliation filed March 27, 1905. Serial No. 252,130.

vices commonly called bridles or spans which are used on yachts for thepurpose of detachably connecting a block or the like to a piece of ropesecured at both ends to thev boom or gaff of a sail and forming thebridle proper. Such devices are in common use for connecting thepeak-halyard block to the gaff, for example', the connection beingdetachable in order that when the sail is furled the sail-cover may beapplied without being interfered with by the presence of thepeakhalyard.

The bridle attachments usually employed heretofore have been found to beunsatisfactory for one reason or another, being difficult to open andclose in cold weather or in the dark, as well as liable to openaccidentally, and my invention is accordingly intended to provide astrong and durable device of this character which may be quickly andeasily applied to or detached from a bridle or the like at any time andunder any conditions of weather and which when attached will have itsparts so held in the closed position that there will be no danger ofaccidental disengagement of the device.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of ayacht-block of a wellknown type, combined with mybridle attachment inits preferred form. Fi 2 is an edge view, partly in section, of tieparts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing myattachment as applied to an eye instead of a block.

2 indicates a metallic shell containing the usual sheave 3' and providedat itsupper end with a lug 4. This lug carries a twopart -U- shapedmember, one of the parts of which is herein represented as a saddle orhook-shaped member 5, the upper portion of which has the usual form andcontour to receive the bridle or rope. One side 5aL .of this saddlemember is made longer than the other and is mounted at its lower end ona pivot 6, which preferably passes through the lug 4 and projects fromthe opposite side of the samekas shown at 7, for a purpose which willhereinafter appear.

8 represents a cover which is hinged to one side of the member 5, as at9, in such manner as to be capable of swinging outward into-the positionshown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, thus o ening a side entrance to thespace beneath t e saddle, which receives the rope or bridle.

.When the cover 8 is swung downward into the position shown in fulllines in Fig. 2, it abuts against the lug 4 and closes said entrance,and suitable means are employed for holding the cover in this closed ornormal position. Said means are preferably provided' by forming a curvedlip 10 on the lower edgeof the cover concentric with the pivot Gand ashoulder 11 at the upper end of the block 2, behind which shoulder saidlip isv adapted to pass. The cover 8 is perforated to receive snugly thprojecting end of the pivot 6 or any equivalent projection which may beformed on the lug 4, andthe lip 10 terminates at such a point that whenthe shell 2 and the saddle member and cover are suiiiciently turned withrelation to each other on the pivot 6 as a center, the shoulder 11 willbe carried beyond one end of the lip 1-0, whereupon the cover 8 may beswung outward into position to permit the insertion or removal of therope or bridle proper. When the cover is in the closed position,however, and the i block and the saddle member are in any other relativeposition than the one above referred to, the cover will be preventedfrom opening by the engagement of the lip 10 with the shoulder 11, andinasmuch as the eXtreme position which itis necessary for the parts toassume in order that the cover may be released is one which 'isexceedingly unlikely to be assumed in use and cannot be assumed when theparts are under tension the accidental release of i the bridle will bepractically impossible. Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings,

In Fig. 3 the saddle member 5 and its cover 8 are shown as constructedin the same manner as is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, but in this gurethe block 2 is replaced by an ordi.

nary eye 12, the upper end of which is pro" vided with a lug andlip-engaging shoulder corresponding in all respects to the lug andshoulder already described. It will beunderstood that a similar lug andlip-engaging lshoulder may be formed as well on the strap of a woodenblock or upon anyV other part to which it is desired to apply myattachment.

TOO

I prefer to so proportion the cover and its lip that the latter may bereleased from the retaining-shoulder in either one of the two eX- tremepositions which the saddle member may assume With respect to the blockor other part to which it is attached, one of these positions beingshown in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

It will be observed as one result of the construction above describedthat the strain on the saddle member is supported in part by the coverand applied to both ends of the pivot-pin 6 by reason of the projectionof the latter through the perforation in the cover, so that there is notendency for the saddle member to cramp or bind on its pivot in use. ItWill also be seen that the parts are so guided by the iat sides of thelug that loose play between them is prevented, such play eing adisadvantageous feature of a common form of bridle attachment heretoforeused. The saddle member may be so applied to the lug 4, if desired, thatit will swing in a plane at right angles to the plane of the sheaveinstead of in the latter plane, which may be advantageous in some cases.I-IoW- ever its parts may be arranged, my device can always be easilyand quickly operated and is not likely to break or get out of order.

I do not consider my invention to be limited to the precise means hereindescribed for locking the cover in its closed position or to thespecific construction and arrangement of the various parts of my device,and it Will be evident that my invention may be embodied in otherdevices than bridle attachments, such as various forms of hooks and thelike, in case it is desired to prevent the accidental removal of such adevice from the part With Which it is engaged.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a device of the character described, thecombination with an attaching-lug of a saddle or hook shapedA memberhaving its longer side pivoted thereto, the opposite side of said lugbeing provided With a projection, a cover hinged to said saddle memberand perforated to receive said projection, and means for normallyholding said cover in its closed position.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination With anattaching-lug of a U shaped member comprising tWo parts hinged togetherand adapted to embrace said lug at their ree ends, one of said partsbeing secured to the lug at one side of the same, and means for normallyholding the other part against the opposite side of said lug. s

3. In a device of the character described, the combination With anattaching-lug of a U-shaped member pivoted thereto and comprisino tWoparts hinged together, one 4of said parts being movable toward the lug,and interlocking means forvnormally holding the latter part against thelug.

4. In a device of the character described,

the combination with an attaching-lug of a saddle or hook shaped memberpivoted thereto and having a side-opening, and interlocking means forclosing said opening When said parts are in normal relative position.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with anattaching-lug having a locking-shoulder, of a saddle or hook shapedmember pivoted to said lug, and a cover hinged to said member andprovided with a lip adapted to pass behind said shoulder When the partsare moved into normal position.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination With anattaching-lug of a saddle or hook shaped member pivoted thereto, theopposite side of said lug being provided With a projection, and a coverhinged to said saddle member and perforated to receive said projection,said cover and lug being provided With means adapted to interlock Whenthe parts are in normal relative position.

7. In a device of the character described,

cover hinged to said saddle member and perforated to receive the reeendof said pin, said cover being provided with a curved lip adapted toengage said shoulder, and to pass from under the same in an abnormalrelative position of said parts.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination with anattaching-lug having its opposite sides flat and parallel, of a saddleor hook shaped member pivoted to one side of said lug in contacttherewith, said member having a side opening, a cover for said openingand means for locking said cover in its closed position.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination with anattaching-lug having its opposite sides flat and parallel, of a U-shaped member comprising tWo parts hinged together and adapted toembrace the flat sides of said lug at their ends, one of said partsbeing pivoted to one side of the lug, and means for normally holding theother part against the opposite si de of said lug.

10. In a device ofthe character described, the combination With anattaching-lug having its opposite sides flat and parallel, of a U-shaped member comprising tWo parts hinged together and adapted toembrace the flat sides of said lug at their ends, a pivot-pin eX-tending through said lug and projecting from each side of the same, oneof the parts of the U-shaped member being pivoted on said pin and theother art having a perforation in its free end, andp interlocking meansfor normally holding the latter part of said member against the lug,With the pivot-pin passing through said perforation.

IOO

IIO

'11. In a device of the character described, the combination With anattaching-lug having its opposite sides flat and parallel7 of a pinpassing through said lug and projecting from each side of the same, asaddle or hook shaped member pivoted on one end of said pin, and a coverhinged to said saddle member and perforated to receive the other end ofsaid pin, said cover and lug being provided With means arranged tointerlock When the 1o parts are in normal relative position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 22d day ofMarch, 1905.

EDWARD B. MERRIMAN.

Witnesses: v

E. D. OHADWTGK, JosEPHINE H. RYAN.

